


Heavy Dirty Soul

by LRRH17



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Battle of Crait AU, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Emperor Kylo Ren, Empress Rey, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Movie: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Reylo Week 2020, Touch-Starved, Touch-Starved Kylo Ren, the last Jedi au, title from a twenty one pilots song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:33:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23936899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LRRH17/pseuds/LRRH17
Summary: Luke Skywalker does not come to the Resistance's aid on Crait. To protect her newfound family, Rey makes a deal with the Supreme Leader.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 119
Kudos: 384
Collections: Ijustfellintothissendhelp, REYLO WEEK 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For day 4 of Reylo Week. Thank you for reading!

At first, he doesn’t know who is walking out of the old Rebel base. Skywalker, probably; the man claims that he does not enjoy playing the role of hero, but that is the greatest lie he has ever told. And if not Skywalker, then perhaps his mother, there to appeal to the last remnants of her son lingering inside the monster of Kylo Ren.

He is not expecting it to be _her._

An all-too-familiar rage begins to burn in his veins. How _dare_ she? How dare she torture him like this? She’d claimed that she would help him – that she would stand by his side if he turned away from the dark – so he had done it. He had murdered Snoke, fighting by her side to free them from the First Order for good.

But she had betrayed him. She refused to give him a chance, even though that’s what she had promised to do. She had abandoned him.

Just like everyone else.

Gritting his teeth, he almost lets Hux give the command to kill her where she stands. Watching her fall now in front of her precious Resistance would satisfy the darkness clouding his mind and heart. Still, he knows that it would break him more than it would help. He _needs_ her. He needs her more than the air he breathes – more than the salvation she offers. Why can’t she see that?

Then, she takes a step forward – and reaches out to him with her right hand, a cruel mirror of his plea in the throne room. 

He barely holds back a scream.

At Hux’s questioning look, he grabs his lightsaber, heading for the ship’s exit. “I’ll go meet her myself,” he growls.

“Supreme Leader,” Hux begins, “do not let your emotions impair your – ”

Ben does not give him the chance to finish, slamming the general into the wall without even a backward glance.

No one else tries to stop him.

His cloak billows out behind him in the harsh wind as he stalks towards her. Leaving only a few feet of space between them, he stops, feeling a vicious satisfaction – and yet a painful tug at his heart – at the flicker of fear in her eyes when he does.

_You **should** be scared of me._

She flinches as the thought fills her mind, and he almost smiles.

_So the bond still works._

“Have you come to save my soul?” he sneers.

She lifts her head defiantly. “You’d have to show me that you have a soul left to save.”

He looks pointedly at her outstretched hand. “Then how did you think you could stop me?”

She sighs, slowly letting her hand fall back to her side. “I was hoping we could make a deal.”

He scoffs. “What does the Rebel scum have that I could possibly want?”

“Me.”

He instantly freezes, his mind going completely blank for one moment. She cannot possibly mean that. She _hates_ him; she must. If she were not repulsed by the creature he has become, why would she keep running from him? 

“I know you told them I killed Snoke,” she continues. “And I know that you’re the new Supreme Leader, so the decisions are up to you now.” She takes a deep breath, steeling herself for her next words. “If you agree to let the Resistance live, I will join you, even if that means being your prisoner. No matter where you go or what you do, I will stay at your side.”

He tamps down the traitorous spark of hope in his heart. **_Liar._**

He ignites his lightsaber, waiting a heartbeat for her to reach for hers – his grandfather’s – before he remembers the way it tore in two only a few hours ago. How are they supposed to settle this if she can’t even fight back? He cannot strike her when she is defenseless. 

“I’m not lying!” she exclaims, taking another step towards him. “I swear to you, Ben, I wouldn’t do that.” She looks at him pleadingly. “Besides; how _could_ I lie to you, with our minds still linked? If you don’t believe me, look. Look inside my mind.”

He doesn’t think twice before he reaches out, winding the Force through her thoughts. It is much easier to do when she is not resisting. If anything, she is helping him search faster, clearing a path to her deepest thoughts. 

She _isn’t_ lying. 

It’s a startling revelation. He is so used to being lied to that he cannot decide what to do next. 

While he flounders in her mind for a moment, her thoughts flash before him. The Resistance has no escape; the only entrance and exit is the massive door behind her. They would be destroyed within minutes of his attack. To save the people that have become her family, she had decided to do what no one else could: make a deal with the devil.

The flicker of hope returns, burning stronger now. _Does that mean that you’ll –_

She answers his unfinished question with a memory, gently tugging him back before he leaves her mind completely.

It’s a memory of him. He is seeing himself through her eyes in Snoke’s throne room, seeing every detail that he tried to hide – the way his hand shook when he reached out to her; the desperation in his eyes; the aching loneliness in his voice when he whispered, _Please_.

Ben recoils from the scene. He does not want to relive the pain and betrayal of this moment. Still, Rey holds him there, whispering, _Wait._

Staring at his own hand, he feels her emotions tumbling inside her – disappointment, sadness, hurt…but beneath it all, an overwhelming sense of longing. She is so _tired_ of being alone, just like him. It would be easy to take his hand and stay with him, traveling to beautiful planets and bringing change beyond her wildest dreams.

But she hardens her breaking heart. She cannot let the people she loves die.

_I still can’t,_ she murmurs as the image slowly fades, returning them both to the present. “This is why I am here,” she continues aloud. “If you promise to spare them – to leave them alive _and_ free – I will stay with you.”

He should not agree to this. Not when he finally has them cornered, and he can kill his past for good. It would be sheer stupidity to leave them be.

Kylo Ren would refuse.

But Ben Solo has always been lonely. He wants this – wants _her_ – more than he has wanted anything else in his life. Together, they would be invincible. 

Ben Solo says yes.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey follows Kylo Ren across the salt plain to his command shuttle. His heavy boots leave blood-red footsteps on the white ground. She keeps her eyes trained on the back of his head, watching as the wind whips through his dark hair, hoping to distract herself from the reality of what she has just done.

She has surrendered herself to the First Order – to _him._ Though she did want to take his hand in the throne room, she hadn’t wanted this. She wanted Ben Solo. _I still do,_ she thinks, her heart sinking at the thought of what could have been. Can Force visions be so wildly inaccurate? When they touched hands, she had seen what his Force signature would look like in the future, so drenched in light that her heart hurt from the beauty of it.

_But how do I find the man within the monster again?_

Ben whirls on her, eyes blazing. She barely stops herself from slamming into him face-first. “What’s wrong?” she asks.

“Ben Solo is _dead,_ ” he says, his voice dark. “I killed him long ago, and I _am_ the monster you think I am. You would do well to remember that.”

Fear and indignation fill her. Still, some sort of lingering hurt comes over her as well. “How did you know that I was thinking – ”

He scoffs. “You really think Snoke created our bond? _We_ did that, in the interrogation room. Snoke may have sensed it, but if anything, he stifled its full power. With him dead, we’re going to have to get used to this – this _melding_ of our minds, until we can figure out how to control it.”

“What are you saying?” she demands. “I don’t understand.”

He takes a step towards her. “Don’t you feel it? The thoughts that aren’t yours? The emotions that are coming from nowhere?”

“It’s been a long day – ”

“And you thought you were imagining it.” He shakes his head. “You’re not.”

Rey’s mind reels at the revelation. It has only been a few hours since Snoke’s death. How could the bond grow that much stronger so quickly? Worse than that, how had she not noticed his presence in her head? Now that he has brought it to her attention, she can _feel_ him, a looming shadow that sticks to the darkest parts of her inner self. Without even thinking about it, she prods at him experimentally, her consciousness brushing his. “Why can’t I hear _your_ thoughts?”

“Because I’m shielding them from you. Which you would know how to do, if Skywalker had been a decent teacher.”

“And you’re a decent teacher?”

“Yes.”

She considers him for several moments before shrugging. “I guess we’ll never know.”

He growls under his breath and turns back to his ship. “Come along, Rey.”

They make their way up the ramp into his command shuttle, Rey’s heart pounding. What happens to prisoners of the First Order? Will she be locked away in a cell on a cold ship? Left to fend for herself on some desolate planet? Paraded around at Ben’s side in chains, an example to the galaxy of what happens to those who defy his power?

Ben clenches his fist and throws her a quick glance over his shoulder.

Rey winces. He must have heard all of that.

This is going to take some getting used to.

General Hux approaches them, sneering. “What is this Rebel scum doing on your ship, Supreme Leader?”

Ben turns, wrapping a hand around Rey’s upper arm and pulling her forward roughly. “This is the scavenger girl, Rey. The one who killed Snoke.”

The shuttle goes absolutely silent, as if everyone inside is holding their breath. No one dares to move.

“Ah.” Hux turns his gaze to her. “Shall we plan a public execution, then?”

Ben’s rage courses through Rey. She sways on her feet, overwhelmed by the press of his emotions as they overlay her own.

“Anyone who touches her will answer to me,” he says, voice low and dangerously soft. “She is to be crowned Empress.”

Rey’s heart stops. She tries to wrench her arm away from Ben’s grip, but he holds fast. “What?!”

Hux sputters, his face turning nearly as red as his hair. “So we _reward_ the desert rat for murdering our leader?”

“No. We take away the Resistance’s last hope by making their precious Jedi one of us.” Ben tilts his head. “Surely even you can see the benefit of that, General Hux.”

Despite the insult, Hux seems to enjoy the idea. He smirks. “Well done, Ren. You’re thinking like a politician now instead of a soldier.”

Ben ignores the backhanded compliment. “She and I will be married, and I will teach her the ways of the Force – of the dark side.”

Rey finally explodes, unable to hold back her anger and confusion any longer. “I will _never_ surrender to the dark side. You can’t _make_ me, I’ll – ”

Ben turns to her then. He gives her a look so fierce that the words die in her throat. “You surrendered yourself to _me_ , and I am the dark side. You swore to stand at my side if I spared your Resistance. Are you breaking that vow? I am more than willing to continue the attack on their hideout if you are.”

She tries to take a breath, to calm herself. Why is he doing this? She wants to scream, to hurt him, to _beg_ him to come back – to reveal the quiet, gentle man who reached for her hand and told her she wasn’t alone. Instead, she forces herself to reply through gritted teeth, “No. I am not breaking that vow.”

He dips his head. “Then it’s time we left Crait.”

The tension in the shuttle finally breaks at the words, his underlings scurrying to prepare for launch.

Ben turns to Hux once more. “Rey and I will discuss the terms of our agreement in private.” Without waiting for the general’s reply, he leads Rey to the back of his shuttle and through a black door, into a small room off of the main control area.

The moment the door is closed, Rey pulls away from Ben as hard as she can, finally managing to free herself from his grip. “Are you insane?” she hisses. She can feel her eyes filling with tears, but she struggles to hold them back. “I said that I would join you, not _marry_ you.”

“You said that you would be anything I asked you to be. I’m asking you to be my wife.”

“No, you are _telling_ me that I am going to be your wife. You’re not asking me anything. I didn’t agree to this!”

His hurt washes over her through their bond, aching like an old wound that has been reopened. _Unwanted,_ his mind whispers, the thought slipping through the shields he has in place. She flinches. He looks at her with such pain in his dark eyes that she almost reaches out to comfort him. How can he go from cruel and imposing to vulnerable and uncertain so quickly?

“So you would rather be locked away in a cell than be with me,” he says softly.

She lets out a breath. Of course not. Doesn’t he understand what she was trying to show him earlier? She wants to be with him. She wouldn’t have delivered herself right to the heart of enemy territory today if she did not care about him.

Ben’s eyes widen as her thoughts fill his mind.

“Kriff,” Rey mutters, rubbing a hand across her brow in embarrassment. “This is going to be _really_ annoying. You need to teach me how to shield my thoughts.”

He swallows hard and works his jaw. “I care about you, too.” He lifts a trembling, gloved hand, just like he did in the throne room earlier.

She simply looks at him for a moment. Here again is Ben Solo, though he so viciously denies it. She can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, she can draw him out for good if she stays – if she agrees to marry him.

Anger flares in him again. “I’m not two separate people, Rey. If you say yes, you are tying yourself to Kylo Ren. That is who I am. That is who I _choose_ to be.” Just as quickly as it came, though, his anger fades, replaced by a deep sadness. “I accept you as you are, for both your light and your darkness. Not once have I asked you to change for me. Why do you expect me to change for you?”

She frowns. “Are you serious? You just said that you were going to turn me to the dark side. You don’t think that’s asking someone to change for you?”

“What was I supposed to say to Hux? He wouldn’t have accepted anything else.”

“You could have told me that you didn’t mean it.”

“I’m telling you now.” He lifts his hand a little higher, his eyes imploring her to take it.

Rey bites her lip in thought. It is a far better deal than she expected when she made the decision to bargain with him. He is promising to let the Resistance live, _and_ he is offering her a place at his side.

“We’ll be equals,” she says slowly. “You will be Emperor, and I will be…Empress.”

“Yes.”

“And I can advocate for what I believe is right, regardless of what the First Order thinks.”

“There will be no First Order once we are crowned, but yes.”

“Then what will there be?” she asks, scrunching her nose.

“Something different. I told you it was time to let old things die.” He takes a step towards her. “We will create something _better,_ Rey.”

She lets herself imagine it – a galaxy without war. Children who will never know hunger like she did. Families that can stay together. Planets free from slavery and exploitation.

It is everything she has ever wanted for the galaxy.

And then there is Ben. She cannot help but think that _he_ is everything she has ever wanted.

This time, Rey takes his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not sure if this is going to turn into a full-fledged fic yet - my brain hasn't decided! But this second part had to be written. Thank you again for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back, back again... ;) I must have rewritten this chapter four times, but I'm finally satisfied with it. Thank you all for the encouragement! <3

On their flight back to the _Finalizer_ , Ben mulls over what has happened today. He hadn’t planned any of it – killing Snoke, accepting Rey’s offer, declaring her his Empress…it had all come to him in the moment. Snoke had always told him to follow his first impulse, but this is the first time that doing so has felt _right_. And it is all because of Rey.

She sits on the leather seat beside him, her back ramrod straight as fidgets with her hands in her lap. Her thoughts are like an ocean, washing over his own and drawing him deeper into the tide of her mind. Though he hadn’t been lying when he said that Snoke’s death opened their bond further, he can’t help but think that they made it even worse themselves when she allowed him to see her memories of the throne room earlier.

Time to take care of that – and to prove himself as the teacher Rey needs.

Ben turns to her. “Close your eyes.”

She doesn’t. “Why?”

“Your shields.”

“Oh.”

A memory of hers flickers at the edges of his mind, half-formed and blurred, as if he is watching an old holo. In it, she settles cross-legged on a tall rock, closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath. Skywalker hovers over her shoulder. Ben has to bite his lip to keep from saying something viscous about his uncle. He means to further endear himself to Rey, not push her away.

Rey copies her actions from the memory, tucking her legs beneath her and breathing deeply as she closes her eyes.

“Good,” he says. “Now, feel for me.”

Her brow furrows in concentration, but within a few moments, her consciousness pushes against his.

“Do you feel the barrier there?” he asks.

Rey nods. “It’s…a wall. A very tall, black wall, and it surrounds a fortress.”

“This is my shield. Feel its shape, its strength. Walk around it in your mind.” He pauses, allowing her to do just that. “What does your mind look like, Rey?”

She raises an eyebrow but keeps her eyes closed. “You know what it looks like, Ben.”

“The island.”

“Yes.”

“Envision something protecting it. The ocean, a rock wall, a dome of transparasteel – anything that will hold off invaders. Make it sturdy. Fortify your mind. Only you may access your thoughts.”

The irony of the exercise is not lost on him. Thankfully, Rey says nothing further about his interrogation of her. Her barrier coalesces quickly, reigning in her thoughts and keeping them separated from his. Ben lets out a breath of relief at the stillness that settles over him. At last – for the first time ever, he realizes – he is alone in his own mind.

It is both terrifying and exhilarating.

Rey opens her eyes. “How is it?”

“Strong.” _Like you,_ he thinks. “You did well.”

She stares at him, clearly surprised. Then she grins widely. “Maybe you’re not so bad a teacher after all.”

The corner of Ben’s mouth quirks up.

* * *

When they dock in the hangar bay, Ben stalls, waiting until only he, Rey, and Hux remain in the command shuttle.

“Rey,” he begins, “I need to speak with Hux. Wait for us outside.”

Rey bristles at the command. “No.”

Ben barely suppresses a growl. Why must she be so stubborn, even in this? “I must speak with him privately.”

“If you mean to have me rule at your side, I have to start learning how the First Order operates. Besides, there are can be no secrets between us. We know that now.”

Ben holds her gaze, his jaw clenched. She’s right, of course. And while part of him thrills at Rey admitting the power of their bond in front of Hux, he is angry that she has defied him so plainly. _He_ is Supreme Leader. Until they are crowned – until they are married, united as equals – she is subject to his rule.

Still, he does not wish for Hux to see them divided. He relents with a nod. Turning towards Hux, he says, “You said it yourself earlier, General; I’m no politician. You are. When Rey and I are crowned, I would have you as our chief advisor. Will you accept the position?”

Hux regards him with thinly-veiled suspicion. “You despise me.”

“Yes.”

“And surely you must know that I hold only contempt for you.”

Ben tilts his head. “Yes.”

“Then why offer me this?”

“Because you would be a dangerous enemy,” Ben replies. “I know what you’re capable of, Hux. We have been vying for Snoke’s favor for well over ten years now. I could use someone with your skills on my side.” He lets the words sink in. Then, he takes a step forward, pleased when Hux visibly quails at his approach. His voice is low, threatening. “But I assure you, General – I would be a far worse enemy for you than you would be for me. Do we have a deal?”

Hux’s gaze darts between Ben and Rey as he assesses the offer in that calculating way of his. Finally, he nods. “Thank you, Supreme Leader. I would be honored to accept the position.”

Ben nearly rolls his eyes at the general’s pandering tone. Who does he think he is fooling? _Even more reason to keep him under close supervision,_ he thinks. 

Turning to Rey, Ben places a hand on her back and guides her down the ramp of his command shuttle, leading her into the _Finalizer_. 

The moment they are out of Hux’s earshot, Rey gives him a sidelong glance, grinning. “That was brilliant.”

Ben almost stumbles over his own feet in surprise. “What?”

“That was brilliant,” she repeats. “He is _terrified_ of you, and it’s hilarious.”

He...was not expecting her to say that. He had thought that Rey, in all her light, would find his methods of dealing with Hux – and most of the First Order, in all honesty – to be unsavory. Cruel. Too dark for her temperament. But then he remembers the look on her face as she stood over him in the snow, and her ferocity in the fight against Snoke’s Praetorian Guard. His affection for her only grows, the warmth of it bleeding through his shields and enveloping her Force signature before he can pull it back.

Aloud, he only says, “Snoke used to call Hux a rabid cur.”

Rey snorts. Is it just his imagination, or is she leaning closer to him, her arm brushing his side as they walk? “I might use that sometime.”

They come to a stop before Ben’s quarters. Keying in the code for the door, he gestures for Rey to go ahead of him into the space. She surveys the room with a critical eye. “What is this place?”

The door hisses shut behind them. “My room,” he says, suddenly and inexplicably nervous. They have been alone countless times over the past few days; why should this be any different?

“Your room?” she repeats dubiously. “But it...”

He frowns, instantly defensive. “What?”

“It’s so...” She trails off again, waving a hand in the air before her, as if that will clue him into what she means. “Dark,” she finishes lamely.

Ben tugs off his gloves, tossing them onto the small table just inside the door. What did she expect? Bright colors? Flowers? Plush furniture and luxurious amenities?

“ _I’m_ dark,” he says gruffly. He rakes a hand through his hair, feeling just how snarled and dirty it is after the fight today. He could really use the ‘fresher right now. But first, he must explain this situation to Rey. Stifling his growing insecurity, he continues, “I need you to stay here while I secure your place within the Order. Until I am certain that they will honor your position as Empress, giving you your own quarters would be too dangerous. I’ll have an extra cot brought up in the morning, but for now, you can take mine. I’ll sleep on the floor.” He glances at the wound on her upper arm. “You can use the ‘fresher first. Bacta is in the cabinet over the sink.”

Without waiting for her reply, he moves further into the room, heading for the separate chamber that houses his grandfather’s melted helmet. 

“Ben,” Rey says softly, and he freezes in his tracks. She approaches him slowly before placing a hand on his arm, her grip firm yet gentle. “Thank you.” 

He swallows uncomfortably. Then, hesitantly, he covers her hand with his own, running his thumb across her knuckles. He does not miss the way that Rey takes in a breath at the gesture. 

“You’re welcome,” he murmurs. With that, he slips out of her grip and leaves her.


	4. Chapter 4

Rey stays in the ‘fresher a bit longer than necessary, letting the warm water ease her tired muscles and wash away the grime of the fight. She has never used a real ‘fresher before. Grinning, she curls her toes, rinsing the last of Ben’s shampoo from her hair. 

She dries off quickly. The bacta is above the sink, just as Ben said. Rey smooths it over the cut on her arm and applies an adhesive bandage to it, sighing in near-instant relief. She wonders if the wound will scar – if she will be forever marked by the fight that solidified her belief in Ben. 

Her dirty clothes have been replaced with a neat stack of black attire – standard-issue First Order sleep pants, and a large, soft top made of a sweater-like material. The hem reaches her knees, the sleeves nearly swallowing her arms with how long they are. She rolls them up to her wrists, grateful for the sweater’s warmth on the cold ship. 

Then it hits her.

This sweater is _Ben’s_.

As Rey steps from the ‘fresher and back into his room, a surge of possessiveness – not her own – washes over her, Ben’s Force signature curling around her own. Rey looks up. From his place across the room, Ben’s eyes are dark when they meet hers.

Suddenly self-conscious, Rey fidgets with the cuffed sleeve of her shirt. “What?”

In response, Ben presses a series of impressions into her mind. The scent of his shampoo in her damp hair. The sight of her wearing his sweater. The solidity of her presence here, with him. The overwhelming realization that she will _stay._

“Oh.” She does not know what else to say.

Ben tilts his head, considering her. “You think what I’m feeling comes from the dark side.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” He takes even, slow steps until he is standing before her. “Passion is not dark or light. It is _human_ , though the Jedi would tell you otherwise.”

“I’m not a Jedi,” Rey says adamantly. If there is one thing she took away from her time with Luke, it is this.

Ben dips his head in a quick nod. “Good.” His gaze darts down to her mouth for a moment before it returns to her own.

Before she can think twice about it, Rey reaches out and brushes a strand of his hair back from his face. Ben freezes, his eyes wide. Not for the first time, his reaction to her gentleness makes her heart ache. How long has it been since someone treated him with compassion? It makes her want to be even gentler, and treat him with the tenderness that he so clearly craves.

Ben takes a deep breath. “I’m going to clean up, too,” he says quietly. “There’s a data pad on my desk, if you want to use it.”

Rey gives him a small smile, resisting the urge to reach out and touch him again, no matter how much she wants to. “Thanks.”

* * *

Ben has only been in the ‘fresher for a few minutes when Rey hears the whispers. 

They remind her of Maz’s castle, where they led her to the lightsaber that started it all. Standing, Rey follows the silken murmurs out of Ben’s study and into the room she had seen him disappear into earlier, before she went into the ‘fresher. 

Like the rest of his quarters, the walls, floor, and ceiling here are all black, lit only by a panel of white lighting that circles the very top of the room. A pedestal rests in the center, and on the pedestal lies a melted black helmet.

Rey gasps. She would know that helmet anywhere. _Anyone_ would know that helmet anywhere. This is the last remaining piece of Darth Vader, Ben’s grandfather, the man who destroyed Emperor Palpatine. She knows she should be frightened, but she isn’t. Strangely, the whispers coming from the helmet are not malicious.

Hesitantly, Rey places a hand on the forehead of the helmet, certain that it is trying to show her something.

“I can see why he likes you.”

Rey jumps, snatching her hand back at the sound of the voice. A man appears before her, flickering blue at the edges, his eyes crinkling as he smirks.

“You’re strong, beautiful, and smart,” the man continues. “I would say he doesn’t deserve you, but I’m afraid that would be hypocritical.” 

Rey takes a step back. “What – how did – are you...?”

“I’m Anakin,” the man says, smiling. “It’s nice to meet you, Rey. I trust that my grandson has been a good and respectful host?”

Rey simply looks at him, her mind reeling. Anakin Skywalker, hated Sith and revered Jedi, is standing – or floating, she supposes – in front of her. Can this day get any stranger? She forces herself to answer, “Y-yes, he has been.”

“Good, good.” Anakin clasps his hands before him, his brown robes rustling with the motion. “I know this is all so new for you, seeing as your connection to the Force was awakened very recently, but I needed to speak with you without Ben around.” His gaze turns serious. “You’re his only hope, Rey. And because of that, you and he are the last hope this galaxy has of peace.”

_“What?”_

“My masters mistakenly thought that I was the Chosen One, destined to bring balance to the light and dark. But it wasn’t me. It’s _you,_ Rey. You and Ben, together.” 

“But...” Rey desperately tries to make sense of what Anakin is saying. “But we’re two people. How can we be the Chosen _One?”_

“You and Ben are what the ancient scholars called a dyad in the Force,” Anakin explains patiently. “Essentially, you are one soul divided into two physical beings. Though you are two in this reality, you are one in the eyes of the Force.”

Rey almost laughs. Apparently, this day _can_ get stranger. 

Anakin suddenly glances to the side, as if he is listening to another person speak. “Forgive me, Rey, but I must leave. Obi-wan is not pleased that I have revealed all this to you in what he is calling ‘an indelicate, blunt manner.’” He rolls his eyes dramatically. “But I promise that we will speak again soon.”

With that, he flickers out of existence.

Rey rushes to the spot where he stood. “Anakin? Anakin, wait! I don’t know what this means! What am I supposed to do?!” 

But it isn’t Anakin who answers.

“You shouldn’t be in here.”

Rey whirls to find Ben standing in the doorway, his expression so dark that she flinches. His hair hangs in limp, wet strands around his face, his scar vivid against the pale skin of his chest. He wears loose-fitting black pants and his feet are bare. Overall, his appearance looks unusually soft.

Except for the storm in his eyes.

Kylo Ren is _furious._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Ben about to reenact the scene from "Beauty and the Beast" where Belle finds the rose in the West Wing, and the Beast loses it? …we shall see… :)


	5. Chapter 5

As ever, Ben Solo’s heart is at war.

Half of him is blinded by inarticulate rage. How dare she? Rey knows what Vader means to him. She has violated his privacy, his trust, by entering this room without his permission. His fingers itch with the familiar need to destroy. 

The other half of him feels every inch the wounded boy he used to be. How _could_ she? He would never deny her anything; she need only have asked for access to this part of him, and he would have obliged. He is so desperate to share his soul with her, to be _seen,_ that such a request would have felt like an invitation to know one another on an even deeper level.

Unsurprisingly, the rage wins out in the end. Ben swallows back his hurt, forcing it down, and allows the familiar burn of his anger to consume him. Before Rey can say a word, he grasps her upper arm, towing her back into the central area of his quarters. To his surprise, she does not fight his grip, allowing him to deposit her in the simple black chair by his bed. He grips the armrests on either side of her, caging her in, and leans close.

“You are not to return to that room,” he says, voice low. _“Ever.”_

Indignation blazes in her eyes then, and he is almost glad for it – for the fight that he can feel brewing between them. “That’s not fair,” she retorts. “You don’t even know why I was there!”

Ben glares down at her. His patience is a dangerously thin, unraveling rope. “Then _explain._ ”

Her mood shifts abruptly, her uncertainty a palpable tang in the back of his mouth. A thought of hers flashes through his mind before she snatches it back, stuffing it behind her shields: _He wanted to speak with me while Ben was gone._

“Who?” he demands. “Who wanted to speak with you, Rey?” 

She bites her lip, her resolve to stay silent wavering. Then, she inelegantly pulls forth her recent memories, thrusting them at him with enough force that he physically rocks back on his heels. Images, sensations, and sounds flood Ben’s mind.

When he has seen everything – when he finally understands – he pulls back from Rey as if she has burned him, his rage reaching a fever pitch.

Anakin was here. He _spoke_ to Rey.

Ben lets out a furious, pained sound that is half roar, half scream. The Force crackles beneath his skin, dangerous, and all the furniture in his room rattles in response. 

Rey stands, lifting a hand as if she might place it on his arm. “Ben – ”

He steps out of her reach, flinching back from her touch. All those years of agony, of _begging_ his grandfather for guidance, only to receive nothing – but the moment Rey touches the artifact, his grandfather appears to _her?_

The hurt returns in full-force now, overwhelming in its intensity as it mixes with his rage. 

He needs to do something. Break something. Hurt and hurt and hurt until _he_ no longer hurts. 

With another yell, he snatches the sleek black chrono off his bedside table, violently throwing it against the far wall. It crashes to the ground in pieces. 

He does not stop there. A book, a data pad, a handful of writing instruments, an old training saber – Ben rips through his room in a matter of moments, slamming his fist into the nearest wall when he has run out of things to destroy. And even then, the awful pit of darkness in his chest is not satisfied. 

Sparing Rey a cursory glance, he storms back into the chamber that houses his grandfather’s helmet. “Grandfather!”

No answer, save for the sounds of Rey scrambling after him and his own harsh breathing.

_“Grandfather!”_ he screams, his voice sounding desperate and mad even to his own ears. 

Still nothing.

Again and again, he calls for Anakin’s spirit to return, until his voice grows hoarse and painful as it scratches in his throat. But Anakin never comes. 

He does not know why he expected otherwise. 

“Grandfather,” he rasps, one last time. The words tumble out of him before he can bite them back. “Please. Please, I don’t know what I did, I don’t know why you — why you abandoned me, I don’t know what went _wrong —_ ”

Ben breaks off abruptly, falling to his knees beside the pedestal as all his rage drains from him. Despair and self-loathing threaten to drown him. 

“Now you know the truth,” he tells Rey, his voice nearly gone. He does not lift his head to meet her eyes. “This is the creature you have sworn yourself to. This is the monster you will marry, so wretched that even his own family leaves him to rot in darkness.”

The silence stretches on too long, the tension between them so thick that Ben hunches his shoulders. So this is it, then. She finally sees him for the awful thing that he has become. Surely he will find no sympathy, let alone care, in her now.

But as always, Rey proves him wrong. She crosses the room in quick strides and wraps her arms around him, drawing him against her. The embrace nearly breaks Ben. He shudders, letting out a half-stifled sob, before he clutches her waist with shaking hands. Rey’s warmth envelops him completely as she leans over him, her Light soft and steady as it holds his Darkness at bay. She runs a hand along his back, rubbing soothing circles into his skin, and all Ben’s thoughts stutter to a halt. 

He cannot remember the last time that he was touched without violence. Suddenly, his skin feels starved for it, for the innocent sensation of Rey’s calloused fingers on his back. Swallowing another sob, he holds her tighter, pressing against her touch with a desperation that, if she were anyone else, would embarrass him.

“ _I_ will not leave you to rot in darkness,” Rey vows, conviction clear in her voice. “They failed you, Ben. I won’t.” 

Ben’s heart aches at the sincerity that lies beneath her words.

He believes her. 


	6. Chapter 6

The next time Anakin Skywalker appears to her, Rey of Jakku ignores him.

It is easier than she thought. Though she often denies the darkness within her, she allows herself the savage satisfaction that his confusion and frustration stir in her. If Anakin avoided Ben for fifteen years, then Rey can avoid Anakin for a few days. 

_Serves him right,_ she thinks, grinning as she hears him try, yet again, to speak with her.

Ben does not agree. He nearly chokes on his soup when Rey informs him of what she has been doing. 

Rey scrunches her nose. “I thought you were angry with him.”

Across the table, Ben sets his spoon down, violently swiping his napkin across his mouth. “I am.”

“Then what’s the problem?” 

“You can’t ignore a Force ghost, Rey.”

She snorts. “Apparently you can.”

_“Rey.”_

“What? Why is this a problem for you?”

“Force ghosts don’t appear without reason,” he explains patiently. “If Anakin is reaching out to you, then you should listen to what he says. It’s probably important.”

Rey shovels more soup into her mouth. “Yeah, but we already know what he said. He explained this.” She waves her hand back and forth between them, indicating their bond. “We’re a dyad.”

Ben sighs, raking a hand through his hair. “We don’t know what that _means._ ”

“So? You’re the Supreme Leader of the First Order, and the soon-to-be emperor of the entire galaxy. Don’t you have access to a library somewhere that can explain it for us?”

Ben simply looks at her for a few moments. Then, he leaps to his feet, their dinner all but forgotten. Rey hides her grin behind her napkin. For all that Ben is a fearsome warrior, he has the heart of a scholar. If anyone can uncover the texts that speak more of their dyad, it is him. 

Ben rapidly types out a message on his data pad, keeping his eyes on the screen as he speaks. “We’ll have to take a day off from the coronation preparations. Coruscant has the last remaining collection of Jedi and Sith knowledge, and a journey there will take three hours one way.”

Rey laughs as a thought crosses her mind. “You know what we should do? Leave Hux in charge. We can see how loyal he truly is when we’re not around.”

Hux will probably grovel, too, if they do that. Rey finds it _terribly_ amusing when he does, though she knows she shouldn’t.

Ben looks up from the data pad, dark pride glittering in his eyes. Softly, seriously, he says, “You will make a brilliant empress.”

Rey fights the blush she can feel on her cheeks, holding his gaze for a few seconds before focusing even more intently on her soup. 

In the week since Crait, Rey has learned several important things about Ben. He is intelligent and sensitive. His temper, when provoked, is like a beast roaring to life after a long slumber. Though he is prone to violence, he has never – nor will he ever – harmed her. He seeks out her touch and comfort like a man in the desert seeks water. 

Most startling of all, though, is his penchant for compliments.

He thinks highly of Rey, and he is not ashamed to let her know it. She will master a saber form quickly, disarm him while they’re training, suggest something at one of their political meetings – even if they are surrounded by high-ranking officers of the First Order, he will praise her. 

Rey doesn’t quite know what to do with his compliments. She has gone so long without companionship that his words are foreign to her, his pride in her even more so. Still, it is not unwelcome. Just...unusual.

“I know I haven’t told you before,” she says, looking back up at him, “but I truly believe you’ll make a good emperor, too.”

Ben gives her a half-smile. “Only because you will be with me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be any good without you, either. We need each other.”

“Yes. We do.”

* * *

Coruscant is not like Rey imagined. She has seen the old holos – she knows what it was like, once. 

Now, the darkened streets are empty, echoing and deserted as she and Ben make their way to the ruins of the Jedi temple. Broken glass and trash litter the ground, the windows of once-beautiful buildings smashed and doors ripped from their hinges. Rey drifts closer to Ben, so that her arm lightly brushes his as they walk.

“Where is everyone?” she asks, her voice seeming too loud in the eerie stillness. 

Ben frowns. “Hiding from us, I’d guess. Since the fall of the Empire, Coruscant has been overrun by criminals and gangs. Even so, I’m sure they have heard of the First Order. They wouldn’t dare attack us.” He glances down at Rey. “Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid,” she stubbornly retorts. And she isn’t. 

Not with Ben by her side, that is.

Despite how decrepit the old temple is, the turbolift inside still works. Rey can’t help but be amazed by the machinery, eagerly inspecting it as it carries them down to the library without so much as a clank. 

The library itself is _huge._ It, too, seems untouched by the devastation that the rest of the planet has experienced. Ben easily leads them to a relevant section, pulling several large volumes off the shelf and handing Rey a few. They settle into one of the dusty tables in the center of the library, flipping through the pages in search of any information about their bond.

Ben is the first to find it after an hour of unsuccessful research. “Rey.” He beckons her around the table, sitting forward in his seat. Rey hurries to his side, leaning over his shoulder as he reads aloud from the ancient tome.

_“Even more rare than a Force bond is the dyad, a near-mythic concept of balance personified. One being, born of darkness and drawn to light, and another being, born of light and drawn to darkness, will find their souls bound together upon meeting. Matched in strength, they will only achieve peace if united in cause and purpose._

_“There are only two known dyads in the history of the galaxy. Should another arise, its power would be like that of life itself. The union of the dyad would bring peace and balance to the Force.”_

“That’s what Anakin meant!” Rey exclaims. “He said that _we_ were the Chosen One. See? I knew we could find it on our own!”

Ben eagerly scans the next few pages of text. “There’s even more here. Tales of the other dyads, cross references to different texts... we’ll have to take them with us. There’s too much to study it all now. The citizens of Coruscant may know who we are, but we still should not be here after dark.”

Rey nods. They gather their materials and head back to the turbolift, their bond singing with the triumph of their discovery. Ben’s excitement strengthens Rey’s. Grinning, she presses the control panel of the turbolift to call it down to their level. 

Nothing happens.

Grin fading, Rey tries the panel again. Still nothing. 

Impatience growing, she jabs the button several times in quick succession, but to no avail.

“Going somewhere?” a voice asks from behind them.

Rey groans. Will Anakin _ever_ let her be? She turns to find him standing only a few feet away from them, smirking. She lifts her head defiantly, prepared to ignore him some more – or tell him off; she hasn’t decided yet – but he is not looking at her, as she had expected.

He is looking at Ben.

Rey turns to Ben, her eyes wide. “Ben? Can you see...?” He nods. Wordlessly, she reaches for his hand, and he grasps hers tightly in response.

“Hello, Ben,” Anakin says. He clasps his hands together before him with a sigh. “I suppose I owe you an apology.”

Ben’s grip on her hand tightens. Rey laughs humorlessly, her surprise quickly morphing into disbelief. 

_This_ should be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for this chapter comes from this quote from the TROS art book: “Instead of finding his way to Exegol, in the early November 2017 version of The Rise of Skywalker story, Kylo Ren instead takes his shuttle to a desolate, ash-covered Coruscant, the once bustling city now overrun by giant wolves. Inside the abandoned Jedi Temple, Kylo takes a central elevator down to the temple’s deepest level.”


	7. Chapter 7

Before Ben can say a word, Rey takes a step forward, her hold on the books in her hand turning white-knuckled. “Yes, you _do_ owe him an apology,” she snarls. “Didn’t you hear him? Didn’t you _care?”_

“Of course I cared,” Anakin replies. “I _do_ care. That’s why I’m —”

“Don’t. He is _not_ your vessel. You don’t get to show up when you please and start making demands of us, let alone Ben. You lost that right when you abandoned him. And if you think you’re suddenly going to swoop in and guide us, you’re _not._ We do not need your help.” She shakes her head, the derision and scorn plain in her voice. “We’ve made it this far on our own, and we’ll be just fine without you.”

As Rey’s anger pours through their bond, Ben can only stare at her, his mind empty of everything save her. Her rage is _glorious._ Does she realize how much her defense means to him? For as long as he can remember, he has been forced to fight for himself; he trusted no one. And now, here is Rey, spitting vitriol at a revered Force ghost simply because said ghost has wronged him. _Him._

Rey turns to him, fire in her eyes, and Ben has to force himself to breathe. 

He wants to kiss her.

He wanted to kiss her that night when their hands met across the fire, and her vision of him had sent tears streaming down her cheeks. He wanted to kiss her in the turbolift aboard the _Supremacy,_ the bright lights reflected in her eyes as she vowed to help him. He _would_ have kissed her in Snoke’s throne room, blood on his cheek and ash in his mouth, had she not turned away and broken the tension between them. 

Rey may be good at waiting, but she is also good at running. In the past week, Ben has done all he can to make her feel as if she does not need to run. 

Would she run now, if he kissed her in the library of Coruscant’s Jedi temple?

He does not realize that he and Rey have been staring at one another until Anakin clears his throat. Ben blinks and swallows hard. No. He will not kiss her here, with all this history around them, and his grandfather’s ghost watching. 

Rey takes in a breath, startled out of her own reverie. With her free hand, she reaches up to cup his cheek in her palm, all the ire in her expression now softened. “You don’t have to speak with him, Ben. This is _your_ decision.”

From the corner of his eye, Ben sees Anakin raise an eyebrow. “You really do have to speak with me. I’m afraid that turbolift isn’t going anywhere any time soon.”

“Oh, kriff off,” Rey retorts, glaring at Anakin. “You can’t keep us down here forever.”

Ben can’t help himself. He laughs. Rey and Anakin both jump, their eyes wide. Ben covers his mouth with one hand, trying to stifle the laughter he can still feel bubbling up in his chest. “I — ” He breaks off as another laugh escapes. 

It feels _good_ to laugh. He doesn’t want to stop. 

“There it is,” Anakin murmurs. “You have hidden that smile for too long, Ben.”

Even as Anakin says it, the smile slips from Ben’s face. “No thanks to you.”

“I know. And I truly am sorry, Grandson. I never meant for you to follow in my footsteps, to feel the pain and heartache that I knew.”

“Then why did you whisper to me all those nights?” Ben demands. “Why promise me power and acceptance if you didn’t want me to finish what you started?”

“Those whispers — they weren’t me, Ben. Since before you were born, Snoke was there, intercepting me at every turn. Whenever you called on me for guidance, I could do nothing but watch as Snoke slowly turned you away from the light.”

Ben clenches his fist. “The dark side is in my nature.”

“So is the light. No one is all dark, Grandson, just as no one is all light. You and Rey are the living proof of that. Together, you can teach the galaxy that balance is _real._ ” Anakin pauses, his gaze turning more solemn than before. “Though we should not act on our darkness, the darkness itself should not be feared. It is a part of organic life — a part of the Force — and ignoring it will not make it disappear.”

“So you’re not here to turn me?” Despite Anakin’s words, Ben finds it hard to believe that the moral of this conversation — like every conversation he has had with his family for the last ten years — is not that he should repent, and throw himself at the mercy of the light.

Anakin shakes his head. “I want you to be _happy._ And I want the galaxy to find peace. If that means that you use the dark side every now and then, I certainly won’t complain.”

“Not dark or light,” Rey says thoughtfully, “but somewhere in-between.” She looks at Ben with excitement. “Something new. Just like you said.”

Anakin grins at them. “See? You were right all along, Rey; you don’t need me. You will do just fine on your own. But if you ever _do_ need me...” He gives Ben a meaningful look, and Ben’s heart squeezes painfully in his chest. “Call, and I will answer.”

His form flickers and disappears. 

Behind them, the turbolift doors open with a quiet ding. 

* * *

Rey’s voice breaks the stillness of the otherwise empty command shuttle. “Ben?”

“Hmm?” he asks, not taking his eyes off the viewport before him.

From the corner of his eye, he watches as she comes to sit beside the pilot’s chair. “That text. It said, one being born of light and drawn to darkness.” She pauses. “That’s you.”

Ben slowly lets out a breath. He knew she would pick up on this. Setting the shuttle’s course for the _Finalizer,_ he engages the autopilot and swivels in his chair so that he can face her. “Yes.”

“So _I’m_ the one born of darkness.”

“Yes.”

She almost seems to deflate at that, her shoulders drawing down, her eyes lowering from his as they begin to fill with tears. “Maybe that’s why they left.”

_“What?”_

“My parents. Maybe they left because they felt it, and they didn’t want to deal with a child who — ”

Ben is shaking his head before she is even halfway through the sentence. “No. Your darkness didn’t make them do anything. It’s their _own_ darkness, their own selfishness, that made them abandon you like that.” It hurts him so deeply, that the people who were supposed to love her threw her away like garbage. And now, she is looking to blame _herself_ for what they did? 

If he could go back and save her the pain of their betrayal, he would. In the week they have spent together, he has learned that he would do _anything —_ cut down her enemies, rip the galaxy to shreds, even destroy himself — if it would make her happy. He wonders if she knows it. Can a girl who has never been loved understand the depth of his devotion to her, when he doesn’t fully understand it himself? 

Rey sniffs, scrubbing a hand across her wet cheek. “But what if Anakin is wrong? What if I can’t help you bring the balance because I’m too broken to make a difference?”

Ben’s battered heart cracks anew at the words. “You’re no more broken than I,” he says quietly. “Maybe that’s what balance is about: two broken pieces that, together, make something whole.” 

Rey’s tears fall harder at that. Slowly, Ben reaches for her, letting his hand come to rest on her knee. She is the only one who can draw such gentleness from him, and he gives it willingly. “My darkness is tempered by your light, Rey, just as my light is fed by your darkness. We’ll be alright,” he says, the last words no more than a whisper.

After a moment, Rey nods. “Okay,” she says, her voice shaky. She covers his hand with her own. “Okay.”

* * *

When they return to the _Finalizer,_ Hux is waiting for them in the hangar bay. He greets them with a deferential nod of his head. “Supreme Leader. Lady Rey.”

Behind Ben, Rey tenses at the moniker, her discomfort rolling off of her in waves. Ben feels a twinge of frustration alongside his sympathy. The First Order must recognize her growing authority before she is crowned. If she refuses to bear the title of Supreme Leader along with him, then he has to allow the troops to call her _something_ respectful.

“General,” Ben replies. “I trust things ran smoothly in our absence?”

Hux smirks. “Of course, Supreme Leader. In fact, we have had a rather productive day.”

Ben raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“We seemed to have acquired quite a useful prisoner.” The general’s eyes dart to Rey for a moment, and Ben immediately distrusts his pleased expression. “The traitor — FN-2187 — has been captured and brought in for questioning. He seems to have a great deal to say about our future Empress.”

Ben can barely register his own shock before Rey’s hurt, confusion, and betrayal crash into his mind. Without even thinking, he pushes his emotions back to her, momentarily satisfied by the answering flicker of relief in her consciousness. 

_You didn’t know,_ she says, sending the thought directly into his mind. 

_No,_ he confirms. He would never hurt her like that. Besides; they made a deal. What’s left of the Resistance is safe, so long as she stays. Of course, he did not expect Hux to circumvent that order by bringing in FN-2187, a known traitor to the Order, who just so happens to support the Resistance, too.

Rey lets out a soft sigh. Then, her rage at Hux explodes, a fiery torrent that nearly bowls Ben over. Instinctively, he reaches an arm out behind him, catching her around the waist as she attempts to storm past him and attack their chief advisor.

Hands scrabbling against his ribbed sleeve, she growls, “Let _go_.” She sends him a volley of images — all of which involve either maiming or screaming at Hux — which, under normal circumstances, would fill him with equal amounts of pride and amusement. But here, in front of half their army, she cannot show such unrestraint. Even if he has done the same more times than he count.

As she continues to struggle against his hold, Ben pulls her into his chest, leaning down so that he can whisper to her, “Not here.”

She growls again and hisses back, “You promised that I could stand up for my beliefs, no matter what _they_ think.”

“If you let them see that the traitor is your weakness, they will use him against you. Do not give this to them.” 

He can sense Rey’s distaste for that word — traitor — but he does not know what else to call the man he once knew as FN-2187. Though he has heard the man’s chosen name in Rey’s thoughts before, it feels wrong to say it himself. As if he has not earned the right to speak it, somehow.

Thankfully, Rey sees the truth behind his words. A forced calm comes over her. 

_Good,_ Ben thinks. He dips his head so that he can murmur his next words, low and dark, directly into her ear. “When you are Empress, you can do whatever you like.”

Rey grips his forearm tightly in response. There are only two days until their coronation. If she can make it to then without giving them reason to distrust her, she can fraternize with traitors all day long, if that’s what she wants.

Before, jealousy would have plagued Ben at the mere thought of Rey spending time with another man. But now, he knows that Rey is his. He has nothing to fear from her friend.

Rey straightens, her voice booming in the hangar bay as she commands, “Take me to the prisoner.”

Hux obeys. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fingers crossed that Adam Driver wins that Emmy tonight. :D

Ben leaves Rey at the door to Finn’s cell with a brush of his mind against hers, the mental equivalent of squeezing her hand. Rey nods in reply, bracing herself as the door slides open.

Finn’s face lights up the moment she enters. Even seated in a small metal chair, with his hands bound to the table before him, he is relieved to see her. “Rey!” he exclaims as the door shuts behind her. 

“Finn,” she says, both admonishing and fond. “What are you doing here? And how did you manage to get _captured?”_

He leans towards her as she sits across from him, lowering his voice. “I came to rescue you.”

Rey sighs. “There’s nothing to rescue me from. You _know_ what the plan was, Finn.” She doesn’t bring up what Hux said — that Finn gave the general intel on her. It must have been a ruse, in order to allow them to see one another. 

“Just because I know the plan doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. That’s why I had to come, Rey. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice yourself to that monster like this. We can — we can fight, we can find allies — ”

“No. _No,_ Finn. I made my choice.” 

Finn grimaces, reaching for her hand and clasping it between both of his. “Are you alright? Has he hurt you?”

Rey shakes her head vehemently, horrified by the thought. She knows, with absolute certainty, that Ben will never harm her. Ever. “No! Of course not. He’s not like that, Finn, he’s — ” 

“You don’t have to be brave, Rey. You can tell me the truth.”

“I _am_ telling you the truth. He’s...” She trails off uncertainly. Ben is what? Changed? No. If anyone has changed, it is Rey. And rightfully so. Her time with Ben has already opened her eyes to so much — about the Force, the galaxy, and of course, Ben himself. “He’s good to me, Finn.”

Finn seems appalled by this, his face scrunched in confusion. He opens his mouth, clearly intent on speaking, but then his gaze shifts to her arm — or, more specifically, the sleeve covering her arm. Rey glances at the fabric herself, swallowing hard. She is wearing a thick, warm tunic that is mulberry in color, with black pants and heavy black boots. The symbol of the Knights of Ren has been stitched into the material at her shoulder. 

“What did he do to you?” Finn asks lowly. 

“I know what this looks like, Finn, but I _swear_ to you that I am not lying. It’s more than the Resistance’s safety that he has guaranteed me. He promised that he would put an end to slavery, suspend the stormtrooper program, and conduct peaceful negotiations with planets that refuse his rule rather than use military force...all because I came to him.”

“You can’t possibly believe that Kylo Ren is going to keep those promises, Rey. You know what he is. _I_ know what he is.”

“I trust him,” she says emphatically. “I trust Ben with my life, Finn.”

“Did you just call him _Ben?”_

“And I trust him to keep those promises. He asked me to rule with him, to marry him—”

_“Marry_ him?” Finn shouts. “Are you insane?! You can’t marry him!”

Rey pulls her hand out from Finn’s, her frustration and hurt growing with each second. “I can,” she says coolly, in what Ben has called her Empress voice, “and I certainly plan to. He is giving me half his power; we will rule together, as equals, and I will help him bring peace to the galaxy.” She leans forward, desperate to make her friend understand. “Don’t you see, Finn? The war is over.”

She still has trouble believing it herself, some days. It seems as if war is the only constant the galaxy has known. But not anymore.

Finn shakes his head. “But it isn’t peace, Rey. It’s surrender. How could you do that? How could you allow him to turn you to the dark side? Don’t you know what will happen to the galaxy without you on our side? We _need_ you.”

_No,_ she thinks, surprising herself with the bitterness of the thought. _You don’t need me. You just need my power._

Rey forces the thought away. “But we’re fighting for the same thing. There _are_ no sides anymore.”

Finn sighs, reaching up to run a hand over his face, but the cuffs stop him short of the motion. He simply looks at Rey, silent, for several moments. “Alright,” he finally says. “So Kylo Ren comes through. Then what? You’re really going to give up your entire life to stay with him? There must be another way to co-rule. You should be allowed to marry someone you love, Rey. Someone who makes you happy.”

Biting her lip, Rey searches for the words to explain. She has never talked about the bond out loud before — to anyone other than Ben, that is. Language seems insufficient for something this soul-deep. “We’re...connected. Through the Force. I think it would be impossible for us to be with anyone else.”

Finn’s eyebrows lift in surprise. He exhales long and slow, clearly running her words through his mind several times before speaking. “Okay. But couldn’t you just...not be connected anymore?”

Rey recoils, her stomach turning. It’s as if her very being is repulsed by the idea. “That’s not how it works,” she says. Though they have not finished researching the dyad, she knows it is not so easily broken. And even if she and Ben _could_ break the bond between them, Rey would not want to.

She wants to be with Ben. 

Can she admit that to Finn?

It’s not that she is ashamed of Ben. She just isn’t certain that Finn will understand. Half the time, _she_ does not understand why she feels so strongly for a man who, only a few days ago, was her enemy. In the end, she simply says, “I care about him, Finn. More than I have cared about anyone else before.”

Finn studies her expression in that way of his, warm and concerned. He seems to find whatever it is that he is looking for and clasps her hand again between both of his. “Alright. If he’s important to you, I’ll do my best to understand.”

Rey smiles, squeezing his hand in reply. If only the rest of the Resistance – and the rest of the galaxy, for that matter – were so easily swayed. “Thank you, my friend.”

* * *

When Rey returns to Ben’s quarters, she finds Ben in his training room. He wears a sleeveless black top, revealing the various scars that litter his arms, shoulders, and upper back. Though she has seen them before, Rey allows her eyes to linger on them now. Each mark speaks to the man he has become – the fascinating, broken, fierce hybrid creature that is Ben Solo and Kylo Ren.

She’s starting to understand what Ben meant that first day, about the danger of her dividing him into two separate beings.

Without saying a word, Rey leans against the doorjamb, crossing her arms over her chest as she observes Ben. Strands of his dark hair hang over his eyes as he whirls about the room, saber crackling in his hand. He moves with such beautiful, deadly grace – interrupted by moments of blind, brute force – that she hardly blinks, afraid to miss a moment. Usually, she is on the receiving end of those blows. It is a nice change to see them from an outside perspective.

At last, he pauses, shoulders moving with great breaths as he disengages his saber and turns to face her.

Rey shakes her head to clear it, forcing herself to refocus on the matter at hand. “Finn is okay. We talked. About _everything._ Then I ordered Hux to let him go without a scratch, and I watched as he left, to make sure of it.”

Ben nods, grabbing a black towel off the low table to his right and using it to wipe the sweat off his brow. Again, Rey’s eyes track each movement. Does he even realize how beautiful he is? When they had been on opposing sides, she _hated_ how easily he could fluster her. Now that she is preparing to marry him the day after tomorrow, she allows herself to admit just how much she likes his appearance – even if the thought makes her feel a bit ridiculous.

She does not realize that pieces of such thoughts have been escaping her shields and drifting towards Ben until she hears him take in a breath, his expression open and vulnerable when she meets his eyes. Rey blushes, about to stutter out an apology, when the reality of the moment hits her.

What does she have to apologize for?

Unexpected confidence surges through her, propelling her across the room and into Ben’s space. She lifts a hand to his scarred cheek, feeling the synchronized jump in their hearts that results from the contact.

“Rey,” Ben whispers, the single syllable filled with overwhelming, blinding _hope._

Raising herself onto her toes, Rey kisses him.


	9. Chapter 9

Rey is kissing him.

Rey is _kissing him._

For the first time in Ben’s life, that gaping maw of darkness in his heart — that ever-present, unbearable well of sorrow — goes silent. He feels _whole._

It only takes a moment for him to begin kissing her back, one arm curling around her waist, his saber clattering to the floor as he draws her against him. He wants to be closer to her, so close that he could disappear into her light, let her goodness swallow him whole and obliterate every horror he has ever seen or done.

She thinks him attractive.

How can she think him _attractive?_ When he looks at himself, he sees an ugly, mismatched creature with eyes that betray his every thought. Yet Rey — radiant, beautiful Rey — _likes_ his appearance. He cannot fathom why.

Rey’s hand shifts from his cheek to his hair, and Ben trembles, overwhelmed by the tenderness of her touch. If the galaxy were not already hers, he would lay it at her feet, so long as she promised to treat him with this aching, gentle sweetness.

When they part, Ben rests his forehead against Rey’s, breathless. Everything he has tried to hold back from their bond since Crait pours out of him, unfiltered. Rey’s eyes widen, but not in pity, as he once feared. She artlessly pushes her emotions back to him, and Ben is overjoyed to find that they mirror his.

Her hands slide down to his shoulders, gripping them tightly. “You’ll never be alone, Ben. I promise.”

“Neither will you,” he replies, fiercely, his heart so full that it hurts. Is this what happiness feels like? He can’t remember.

Rey leans up again and kisses his cheek.

_“Rey_.” If she keeps this up, she will be the death of him.

She gives him a sheepish smile, then hides her face against his chest, wrapping her arms around him. Ben takes a deep breath, letting it out on a shaky exhale.

They stand there for a long time, simply holding one another. With each matching beat of their hearts, Ben feels the jagged edges of his soul smoothing out, until they no longer needle him with their sharpness. They do not disappear, but they ease, scarring over and leaving behind the kind of light that he has not felt in years.

_Balance,_ Ben thinks, allowing himself to bask in that light.

* * *

The next day, the light in Ben does not fade. He finds himself less prone to violence, less driven by his rages, and more in control of his darker impulses. They are still present, certainly, but they are not as all-consuming as they normally are. It’s an unexpected relief, even if he feels a bit unmoored without their strength.

Rey has found a sense of peace as well, he notices. Her Force signature is a shade darker than usual, but the painful loneliness that always clings to her has faded. Throughout their final preparations for the coronation and wedding, he feels her presence reaching for his, and often turns to find her looking at him warmly, a smile on her face. Each time, Ben returns the smile with a slight upturn of his own lips.

He will finally have something — some _one —_ entirely his. Rey will belong to him, and he will belong to her. Tomorrow, they will be united before the galaxy, just as they are already united in the Force.

Rey interrupts his musings, nudging his shoulder with hers as they exit the conference room. “What are you thinking?”

Ben raises an eyebrow. “You don’t know?”

Her brows furrow in concentration as her mind probes his, but Ben holds his shields steady. She relents with a huff. “You _could_ help me.”

As they round a bend in the corridor, he lets the back of his hand brush hers. “I wouldn’t be an effective teacher if I did.”

Rey rolls her eyes, smirking. Ben’s heart picks up speed when, instead of allowing their hands to rest side by side, she weaves her fingers through his and holds tight. “Well, you’re certainly the best teacher _I’ve_ had. Not that I’ve got a lot of experience to go off of. But still.”

Her words warm him from head to toe. Praise is yet another of the things he has gone without; he wonders if he will ever grow used to her kindness.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Rey asks.

Nerves and anticipation flutter in Ben’s stomach at the question. He has spent the week since Crait with one particular dilemma in the back of his mind: what can he give Rey as a wedding gift? He is already offering her the galaxy, though she has not asked for it. And try as he might to decipher her desires, she has not revealed anything particular in their time together. Simple things make her happy. But finally, last night — after their kiss — Ben had been struck by the perfect idea.

More than anything else in the galaxy, Rey longs for family. For a _home._

Ben can give that to her.

“I have something for you. An early wedding gift.” He allows himself a small smile at her surprise. “But we have to get off the ship first.”

Her excitement tangles with his own, easing his nerves. Still, he carefully maintains his shields as they walk the corridors of the _Finalizer_ , not wanting to ruin the surprise.

The moment they step off the ship, they are met with brilliant, blinding sunlight and green fields as far as the eye can see. But Ben does not spare the beautiful landscape a glance. He keeps his gaze on Rey, thrilled by the wonder on her face.

“Where are we?” she asks breathlessly.

“Naboo. It was my grandmother’s home. She was elected queen here, many years ago, when she was even younger than you.”

Ben gently tugs on her hand, urging her to follow him. They make their way up a small hill. As they crest the top, Varykino comes into view, the familiar green domes causing a bittersweet pang in Ben’s heart. He can’t remember the last time he visited his grandparents’ old home.

Rey gasps as she takes in the sight. Wisps of her hair stir in the gentle breeze. “Oh Ben, it’s _beautiful_.”

“It’s yours.”

_“What?”_

“This is my gift to you, Rey.” He sweeps an encompassing arm across the villa, the surrounding countryside, and the lake. “We’ll still rule from the _Finalizer,_ but we won’t live there. _This_ will be our home.”

She says nothing, simply gaping at the landscape for several moments. Ben’s anxiety spikes. Has he done something wrong? _Said_ something wrong? He has never been a man of eloquent speech; action suits him best. That’s why he had tried to keep this as simple as possible.

Then Rey lifts a hand to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears, and all his worries fade. She lets out a short, watery laugh, and throws her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispers, her cheek pressed to his as she clutches him tightly. “ _Thank you_ , Ben.”

Wordlessly, Ben returns her embrace, their bond as warm and bright as the sun in Naboo’s sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end! Just one or two more chapters, I think, before these two officially get their happily ever after. :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we’ve reached the end! Thank you for coming on this Reylo journey with me. Writing this story was such a positive experience for me in this strange time, and I’m glad that it brought some joy to your days, too. <3

They are married at sunset the next day.

Throughout the ceremony, Ben’s eyes never leave Rey. Rey finds that she can hardly stop looking at him in return; he is even more regal and imposing than usual in his ceremonial attire. More than that, though, his gaze — full of intensity and emotion — draws her in, just as it has since they first met. 

They each speak words of devotion, pledging themselves to one another in a traditional Alderaanian marriage ceremony. Rey knows that Ben does this for his mother more than himself, even if he will not admit it. She thinks of Leia watching the broadcast in a quiet room on some faraway planet, and it makes her even more hopeful than before.

It has taken her this long, but she understands now. Just as Anakin said, it does not matter whether Ben is light or dark, as long as the conflict in his soul has been put to rest.

Gazing into his eyes, their hands intertwined, she knows that it has. 

Before their marriage is officially sealed, Ben eases his hands from Rey’s, reaching for the elegant circlet on the stand beside him. Rey kneels, drawing the white skirt of her gown to the side to better accommodate the movement. 

“Rey of Jakku,” Ben says, just as they had practiced, “do you swear to guide the galaxy with truth, honor, and mercy all the days of your reign?”

“I swear,” Rey replies, placing a hand over her heart and bowing her head.

“Then as Supreme Leader of the First Order, I crown you Empress Rey. Rule justly, and keep the Force within your heart.” He places the circlet on her head. “Rise, my Empress.”

_My_ Empress. That wasn’t in the script.

Rey stands, and as she does so, Ben kneels before her. She takes his circlet into her hands. It is delicate and beautiful, little golden leaves interspersed with stars all around the edges, the perfect match to her own. 

“Kylo Ren,” she begins, then pauses. “Ben Solo.”

His eyes widen at the sound of his name, that familiar vulnerability flashing across his features. 

Rey continues, “Do you swear to guide the galaxy with truth, honor, and mercy all the days of your reign?”

He swallows hard. “I swear.”

Settling the circlet atop his dark hair, she says, “Then as Empress of the galaxy, I crown you Emperor. Rule justly, and keep the Force within your heart. Rise, Ben Solo.”

He does. His eyes have gone glassy, as if he is holding back tears, but his hands are steady when they clasp hers once more. 

“As you are one in your rule,” the officiant says, “so are you now one in the Force. Seal your union with a kiss.”

It is their second kiss, and though it is shorter than their first, it is still so sweet that Rey’s head spins. Two weeks ago, she never could have imagined that Kylo Ren would be capable of such softness — of such love. For that’s what this is, Rey realizes. Ben Solo loves her; she can _feel_ it.

_And I love him,_ she thinks as they part, unable to keep the smile off her face. Somehow, the realization does not shock her. It’s as if she has always known.

Hand-in-hand, they make their way from the balcony to the double doors that will lead them into Varykino. Pausing at the threshold, they turn back, giving the holocam a final acknowledgment — a wave and smile from Rey, and a stoic nod from Ben — before they enter their new home. Ben shuts the doors behind them with a soft click. 

They are alone. 

They had agreed that they did not want an extravagant feast following the ceremony. Rather, they have had the chefs prepare a simple dinner just for the two of them, with the marriage attendees returning to the _Finalizer_ in Naboo’s orbit. 

Ben turns to Rey and offers her his arm. “Would you like a tour? Dinner should be ready in a few minutes.”

She nods, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow. He leads her through so many beautiful rooms that she quickly loses count of them, awed by his grandparents’ villa. All of this is _hers?_ She can hardly fathom it. 

The last room they visit is a spacious bedroom with light blue walls, a large four-poster bed with a blue and white comforter, and a breathtaking view of the lake below. Attached is an opulent ‘fresher, tiled in matching blue and made entirely of porcelain. Rey can’t help but reach out and run her fingers along the wall. All her life, she has been surrounded by durasteel and other cold, synthetic materials. Tile and porcelain feel so _real_ in comparison, like something out of an old holo. 

Ben leads her to the closet next, and Rey’s jaw drops in amazement. It is so large that she can actually walk inside of it! Even her hut on Ach-To wasn’t quite this large. Hanging in neat rows all along the left side are her clothes. Some she recognizes from the _Finalizer_ ; others are new to her, tunics and even a few dresses in a myriad of colors. And on the right are...Ben’s clothes?

She gives him a questioning look, and to her surprise, he seems embarrassed, a faint blush on his cheeks. “This is our room,” he explains, his eyes searching hers. “But if you would be more comfortable with me staying elsewhere, I can move — ”

“No, it’s — it’s alright.” She fights away her own blush and gives his arm a light squeeze. 

Relief shines in his eyes. “I’ll leave you to change, then.” He kisses the back of her hand, then leaves without another word.

Rey lets out a long breath and turns to her side of the closet.

* * *

When she descends the stairs only a few minutes later, Ben immediately looks up at her from his place by the window. Rey can feel his surprise — along with a flicker of delight — at her appearance. 

“That’s not yours,” he says quietly, the corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. 

Rey shrugs, grinning mischievously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. This sweater was in our shared closet.” He has changed as well, she notes, wearing looser black pants and the same kind of black sweater that she now wears.

“Ah, I see. Still a scavenger at heart, then.”

“Always.”

The half-smile transforms into a smirk. “Shall we?”

Rey nods, taking a steadying breath to hide her nerves. Ben’s wedding gift is waiting for him in the adjoining dining room — and though she had thought it a perfect idea at the time, she can’t help but wonder what he will think of it. She has never given anyone a gift before. Has she gone about this the right way?

_Well,_ she thinks, _only one way to find out, I suppose._

The moment they cross the threshold, Rey’s eyes widen, her mouth already watering at the food set out before them. It’s a variation of her favorite dish from the _Finalizer,_ noodles and sauce, made fancier by the accompanying vegetables and bread. Then her gaze lands on the wrapped box to the right of Ben’s plate. She glances at him out of the corner of her eye. He tilts his head, brows furrowed, gazing intently at the box.

“It’s for you,” she says. He makes no move towards it. “Go on,” she urges, “open it.”

He approaches the table with slow, cautious steps, as if he is afraid that this is a trick. Again, Rey’s heart aches for this man. Has he really known so little of affection in his life that even a small gift leaves him wary?

One hand hovering over the box, his gaze darts to hers before returning to the gift. Assured, now, that this is truly meant for him, he slides one finger under the edge of the wrapping and tears it off with a carefulness that she had not expected from him. He lifts the lid of the box — and takes in a quick, sharp breath. 

Rey does not need to look for herself to know what he sees. Nestled inside the box is an elegant, golden pen, the kind that Rey had only ever seen in old holos before this. Ben carefully lifts the pen from the box, and the light of the sunset outside illuminates the letters that have been etched into the pen’s sides: BS on the left, and KR on the right. Ben says nothing, his jaw working in that way of his as he gently rolls the pen between two fingers. 

“I saw it,” Rey says, and Ben’s gaze flies up to meet hers. “In your mind. The pens and ink on your desk at Luke’s temple — you loved writing with them, when you were younger. It made you...happy.”

“It was the only thing that did.” 

“You deserve to be happy, Ben.”

He takes in a breath. “I — I _am_ happy. You’ve made me happy, Rey.”

She grins, blinking back tears of joy. “Then let’s be happy together.”

Gently placing the pen down on the table, Ben gives her a small smile, opening his arms to her in invitation. Rey does not hesitate. She goes to him without a second thought, wrapping her arms around his waist and tucking her head beneath his chin. 

“Together,” Ben agrees. 

The future stretches out before them, hazy and undefined — but for the first time, neither of them minds. For they _are_ together. And because of that, the rest will fall into place.


End file.
